There are Coke lovers and there are Pepsi lovers, and if you fall into the latter category, you can now use your iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad to earn credits toward free music by checking in to Pepsi-serving restaurants with the new app Pepsi Loot.
Using your GPS, the free Pepsi Loot app will display nearby Pepsi “Pop Spots,” or restaurants that serve Pepsi products. Once your device’s GPS shows that you’re at the actual location (problematic if your GPS is as off as mine tends to be in a big city), you’ll be given the option to check in to the site. For the first check in, you’ll receive one Pepsi Loot credit—enough to download a free song—and one credit for every three check ins after. You’ll see a few of the featured artists in the “Loot” section of the app, along with a YouTube portal to artist videos. However, actually downloading your free tunes requires you to go to the Pepsi Loot Store website from an actual computer (and sign up for an account). The app will offer other exclusive deals at participating restaurants. Oh, and you can also only check-in to the app once every four hours.
Although the premise behind Pepsi Loot is smart in theory, in April, Pepsi announced a partnership with check-in powerhouse Foursquare, which planned to have Foursquare notify users of nearby Pepsi retailers, along with special offers. Because of Foursquare’s already devoted user base, I am floored that Pepsi decided to create a completely separate app rather than integrate its Loot feature with Foursquare.
I have enough trouble remembering to check in to a location with one app, and without in-app downloads, I don’t see Pepsi Loot ever becoming a must-have app. Perhaps the company should re-focus its efforts on its Foursquare deal—or stick to making soda pop.
